Bihar Congress authorises high command to take decision on supporting JD(U)

Former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar along with JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav address party MLAs in Patna on Sunday. (PTI)

Amid the logjam over leadership in ruling JD(U), Congress legislature party met in Patna and authorised its central leadership to take a decision whether to continue supporting it or not.

The CLP meeting apprised the Congress central leadership of the present political situation in Bihar and authorised them to take a decision, CLP leader Sadanand Singh told reporters.

Asked whether Congress would continue to support the JD(U) government in Bihar, Singh said “so far we have not withdrawn support. But the future course of action has to be decided by the high command.”

The Congress had voted for Kumar in the trust vote after his split from NDA in June last year. In the parliamentary elections it went with Lalu Prasad’s RJD but did not withdraw support to the JD(U) government.

Its support is crucial for continuation of the JD(U) government in the state.

Out of the 239 seats in the Bihar assembly, JD(U) has 117 MLAs including the Speaker, BJP has 90 members, RJD 21, Congress 4 and others, including independents and a lone CPI 7.

During the trust motion in June last year, Nitish Kumar had sailed through with the help of four Congress MLAs, as many Independents and one CPI member.